Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-04-20
A DAKOTA INSTITUTION,
The Pleasant Home Pre-
vided for the Insane.
Yankton's Asylum, its Unfortunate
Inmates and it's Management.

Sioux City Times Correspondence
One OF the principal public institutions
IN the territory OF Dakota is the
hospital for the insane, located
wishin half an hours drive OF
YanktoD, on a beautiful plateau over.
looking the city, the treacherous Mis-
sisouri and the Nebraska bluffs in the
distance. 1t was at this Institution on
Thursday that o Daily Timesi reporter
was entertained and sheltered from o
drizzling rain, The buildings are large
and commodious, being three in number
and connected one to the other by fire
proof corridors. The center building
projects out q little and those on either
.siie from the east and west wings. res
peotively, the one the female and the
other the male wards. Each of these
floors in either of the wings form a
separate ward and in constant charge of
one or more attendants according t 0 the
number OF, patients. The two wings
comprise six waras and each ward. is
provided alike with dining-room,
bathroom, clothes room and bed rooms,
the latter bn either side of q broad hall
way, 125 feet IN length. Each of the
twenty or more bed-rooms to. a ward is
provided with an iron bedstead aud
bedding, nothing more. In the polished
Hoored hall way, are, plain, wooden rock
ing chairs and comfortable settees. The
windows are decorated with fragrant
flowers and here and there are ufns Of
Wandering Jew. The constant SONG
of the many canaries asd tho music OF
the melodeon in the bay makes the
place more like q home than q lunatic
asylum. The patients are at liberty to
'eome and go from the rooms to hall or
bay NJ viii, and occupy their time at one
one thug or another, according to their
mental ability. In nc part of the in
~stitntion did the reporter find d male or
female in solitary confinement, and
from all appearance they were perfectly
indifferent as to the sight Of strangers,
and seemingly harmless. In the female
wards, which are of course
neater IN general appearance, the
large bay ia carpeted and the walls of
the same are covered with picture cards
such as f~iye-yesr-oid boys and girls
gather for their scrap books. Most of
the cases In this institution are hopeless.
1t is indeed o pltiful sight to see so many
unfortunate beings doomedsto spend the
balance oil their natural lifetime IN q hu-
man cage. And then it. causes one to
think of how these poor creatures be-
came mental wrecks; OF what man caus-
ed this emaciated woman to occupy a
mapiac's cell, or that for.crn man his
vacant stare snd silly twaddle. There
are many cases here of mans iphumanity
to woman, one of which is fresh in our
memory. In one end OF the corridor on
the second floor is q middle-aged wom-
an. and but for the vacant look in her
eye might be. called good looking. She
occupies most of her time in pacing the
floor with her index fnge.s in her ears.
She never speaks q word to anyone,
though occasionally she IS heard to
mutter to herself. The history of this
unfortunate patient is heart-rending to
say the least. Some three years ago she
was picked up on the prairies OF Dakota,
o raving maniac, and brought to the
asylum. No trace of her home or where
she had come from could be learned.
Ehe only ciew OF her identity, If such it
may be called, was an initial on some of
her clothing. 1t was q year later when
tbs superintendent of the Institution re-
eeived a eabIegsam from England ask
Tug in regard TO O woman who answered
the description Of this patient. An
answer giving all the details OF her find
ing was at once forwarded, and in due
OF events and ocean mails, q reply
was received telling of her heartiess
desertion. She and her husband came
from London to Dakota where the latter
deserted her upon the open prairie and
returned to England where he said his
wits had died and was about to wed o
youngAnd wealthy girl when his itreach-
cry wasNdiscovered and his plans thwart-
edt 1.-THE recital OF this case is romantic
IN tbe extreme, tn. it is frne and there.
are many others. equally sad. An
other unfortunate occupies her time
making d ornzv-patch quilt, (by the way,
tae cply appropriate place ON earth for
Ianeh WORK.. Tie blocks OF this innatia,a